As we head into summer (in the northern hemisphere), SEMS is wrapping up another strong year. This edition of the newsletter introduces our new president-elect for 2013-2014 and the newest members of our board of directors. We look forward to formally introducing them at the SEMS Town Hall meeting Monday, May 20 at the IIE Annual Conference & Expo 2013. We also have our largest ever conference schedule at both ISERC and Applied Solutions, including pre-conference activities, a featured speaker, panel sessions, student activities, a book signing event and much more.

SEMS is pleased to announce our new 2013-2014 President-elect Wiljeana Glover (MIT). Wiljeana currently serves on the Board of Directors and has been involved in SEMS for several years. Most recently, she has been leading SEMS student initiatives.

In addition, we have three incoming directors: Cecilia Martinez (Clarkson University), Edson Pinheiro de Lima (Pontifical Catholic University & Federal University of Technology - Parana, Brazil), and Brian Smith (Missouri S&T). All three have been volunteering with SEMS for some time and we look forward to formally welcoming them to the Board. Both the newly-elected directors and the new president-elect will serve three-year terms.

SEMS gives a huge thanks to our outgoing Immediate Past-President, Geert Letens, and to our outgoing directors, Beth Cudney and Sergio Gouvea da Costa. We would not be where we are today without their dedicated service!

SEMS Town Hall Meeting -Monday, May 20

The SEMS Town Hall meeting will be held Monday, May 20 from 2-3:15 p.m. local time in Room "San Cristobal D" at the IIE Conference & Expo 2013. The Town Hall is an interactive forum held for the benefit of current and potential SEMS members. The 2012-2013 SEMS president, Jennifer Farris, will update members on the state of the Society and plans for the future, and SEMS will also present our best paper awards and SEMS Management Award, as well as recognize outgoing Board members, the Featured Speaker, and other contributors. Attendees at the Town Hall will have the chance to meet and ask questions of the SEMS Board, network with other members, provide suggestions for future activities, and volunteer for several key initiatives, such as the website, webinar series, international presence, and membership. If you are interested in learning more about SEMS or becoming more involved, this is a "don't miss" opportunity!

SEMS welcomes enthusiastic volunteers to work with the SEMS officers and board. SEMS is growing and there are many exciting opportunities to contribute, whatever your interests. If you have an interest in blogs, international outreach, social media, workshops and conferences, webinars, marketing, or a new idea of your own, we welcome your participation! Contact any of the SEMS officers, Jennifer Farris, Geert Letens or Michele Dekelbaum.

SEMS bylaws update

The SEMS membership recently voted to adopt new bylaws proposed by the Board. The SEMS Board believes that the new bylaws will help SEMS operate more efficiently and effectively, by better capturing SEMS' core focus and procedures. If you didn't get the chance to read them during the vote, and are interested in learning more about how SEMS operates, you can find the new bylaws here.

Did you know about this SEMS webpage: Books Worth Reading?

Did you know the SEMS Website provides various ways to find books worth reading? First, you can find an overview of the book reviews included in the various newsletters in the Book Browse Section of the website. The Tools and Resources Section provides a more comprehensive overview of recommended books. For folks that are new to the Engineering and Management System Body of Knowledge just click on one of the topics of your interest to explore!

SEMS Blogs

Several new blogs on Systems Thinking, Enterprise Transformation, Lean Healthcare and Sustainability where recently posted on the SEMS Blog Website. SEMS Blogs are accessible for both members and non-members so feel free to share them with your friends!

Upcoming Events

Webinars

SEMS is proud to sponsor the following upcoming webinar:June 6 - 2 p.m. Eastern time

Your SEMS membership entitles you to access all previously recorded SEMS sponsored webinars, which may viewed here.

Member spotlight

In this section, we highlight a SEMS member for outstanding performance in the knowledge domains of engineering management and for exceptional service to the society.

This month we honor Dr. Suzie Long!

Long was recently awarded the 2013 University of Missouri President's Award for Early Career Excellence. The Early Career Award recognizes faculty who exhibit exceptional promise within their first seven years. One award is given across all four campuses of the UM System and is based on excellence in research, teaching, and service. An award dinner will be held on June 13, 2013 in Columbia, Missouri for Long and other 2013 award winners.

Ron Adner invites readers to take a larger view of technology to achieve success. Innovative companies tend to focus on their new technology in isolation and often ignore the larger technology ecosystem required for successful adoption. Adner provides examples such as Philips' high-definition television in the mid-1980s that was a breakthrough in technology, but depended on other innovations such as high definition cameras and transmission standards.